Top tours on wheels

Published on 07 Feb 2017.

Exploring a new city on your own has an adventurous edge to it. But if you’re craving an insider experience, consider having an expert tour guide show you around the city on an open-top or air-conditioned bus ride. With these hop-on, hop-off bus tours, you’ll get to see the whole city from the comfort of your seat, travelling with ease the whole time.

City Sightseeing by Singapore DUCKtours Pte Ltd

Start with this classic open-top, double-decked bus tour — be driven around the city with the wind in your hair, and snap some Instagram-worthy pictures whenever something catches your eye. You can opt for the Singapore 7 Sightseeing Pass with a 24, 48 or 72-hour validity, which offers 7 lines – 4 Hop On Hop Off Lines and 3 feeder lines. The 7 lines include the Yellow Line, also the city route, which takes you through the Orchard Road shopping district, past the Singapore Botanic Gardens, and through the Civic District. There’s also the Red line, or the heritage route, where you’ll get to experience the city at a slower pace along the charming shophouses and cultural landmarks of neighbourhoods such as Chinatown, Little India, Kampong Glam and Boat Quay.

City Sightseeing tour buses run from 9am-6pm daily, with each tour loop lasting approximately 45-60 minutes. Tickets start at SGD 43/adult. Book your tickets online here.

If you arrived in Singapore via Singapore Airlines, good news — your boarding pass doubles as a ticket to discounted fares on the SIA Hop-on one-day pass. The pass allows you unlimited rides on the buses for 24 hours and yes, you can hop on and off at any stop you fancy, making it a great option for exploring the city at your own pace. The SIA Hop-on Buses run along four different routes, all of which cover various districts in Singapore, such as Marina Bay, Chinatown, Arab Street and the Civic District. Ticket holders also get to enjoy free bus rides to the tucked-away neighbourhood of Dempsey Hill from the Botanic Gardens SIA Hop-on stop.

SIA Hop-on Buses run from 9am-6.30pm daily. Duration of the SIA Hop-on tours varies (you can hop on and off at each stop). Tickets start at SGD 19.50/adult and SGD 14.50/child.

Makan Bus by MeGuide U

‘Makan’ is the Malay word for ‘eat’, so ready your appetites to feast your way through Singapore on the Makan Bus tour! Embark on a gastronomic journey peppered with local flavour, right in the heartlands of Ang Mo Kio, Bishan, Balestier, Thomson, Toa Payoh, and more. Besides actual feasting, you’ll get to explore landmarks and attractions in the heartlands (such as temples, monuments and nature trails) that you might not find on your run-of-the-mill travel brochure.

Duration of the Makan Bus tours varies (you can hop on and off at each stop, and the estimated waiting time between each bus is 22 minutes). Tickets are priced at SGD 28 each.

FunVee tour by Citytours

Spend a day on a FunVee open-top bus with the FunVee 1 Day Hopper Pass! Choose from a variety of sightseeing FunVee tours — travel on the City Hopper for a taste of the city slicker life in Singapore, where you’ll be taken to the Central Business District, Orchard Road shopping district, and nightlife hub by the river, Clarke Quay. Or, opt for the Sentosa Hopper if you’re up for some sun, sand and sea. Stops along this route include Universal Studios Singapore and the cable car station at Mount Faber, where you can enjoy a scenic cable car ride to Sentosa (tickets for cable car rides into Sentosa start at SGD 29/adult and SGD 28/child). There’s also the Marina Hopper that will take you along Marina Bay — perfect for snapping some gorgeous pictures of the Singapore skyline and its many iconic landmarks.

DUCKtours by Singapore DUCKtours Pte Ltd

For a unique travel experience, opt for the DUCKtours ride. The vehicle of choice? Remodelled World War II Vietnamese war crafts capable of travelling on land and sea — they’re amphibious, so to speak! Board a DUCK from the DUCK & HiPPO Hubs at Suntec City Mall, and take a spin around the Civic District, going by the Esplanade — Theatres on the Bay, the Fountain of Wealth, Merlion Park and more. The DUCKtours ride starts its journey on land, before splashing down into the waters of Marina Bay to waddle up close to the skyscrapers of our city’s skyline.